1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing individual slide fasteners from a pair of slide fastener stringers of continuous or substantially endless length.
2. Prior Art
As is well known in the art, slide fastener parts are assembled into individual slide fasteners through a number of distinct processing steps. A pair of rows of fastener elements are mounted respectively onto the confronting edges of a pair of slide fastener tapes, and the rows of fastener elements are interengaged or coupled together into a slide fastener chain. Then, element-free spaces or gaps are formed in the slide fastener stringers at predetermined intervals therealong, and the fastener stringers are severed thereacross centrally of the element-free gaps, followed by installation of a slider onto the slide fastener chain from the cut end of the stringers. Top and bottom end stops are finally attached to the fastener stringers to trap the slider thereon, thereby producing a slide fastener. Some of the steps involve additional processes to eliminate various inconveniences which could be developed in association with such steps. For example, the fastener elements located adjacent to the element-free gap should be fixed in place against loosening and the tape fabric at the cut edges should be free from raveling, both for neat finishing and smooth slider installation. Further, since the slide fastener chain normally passes through the slider from its mouth, the element rows become uncoupled when they emerge from the throats of the slider, and hence it is difficult to attach the top end stop halves to the separated stringers in exact slignment with each other. Upon mounting of the top end stop, the slider is required to be moved up to the attached top end stop for intermeshing the element rows again.
Therefore, there have been required many independent processing machines, which jointly make it difficult to keep a high degree of quality control, and are liable to produce off-specification products due to finishing errors built up by such many machines. In addition, with prior machine arrangements, the rate of production is relatively low and the finished products become expensive.